We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
534 of its 1,411 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Tokyo accounted for 344 of Japan's 534 stories about harm, carried by 879 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (128 stories). Ebola was named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cholera.
66 of its 80 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Cholera was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
21 of its 29 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Hunger was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
33 of its 59 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Outbreaks were named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
76 of its 331 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Tehran accounted for 106 of Iran's 195 stories about harm, carried by 364 outlets. Covid was named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with outbreaks, flu and respiratory illness. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Tripoli accounted for 70 of Libya's 78 stories about harm, carried by 156 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
25 of Istanbul's 34 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Idlib accounted for 200 of Syria's 282 stories about harm, carried by 344 outlets. Extreme cold was named in 51 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with flooding and storms. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
31 of its 49 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).
Also named far more than usual: covid in Iran (59 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Ecuador (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); extreme cold in Syria (51 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flooding in Latvia (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Egypt (14 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 Feb. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 23,699 stories about harm among 120,858 counted on 19 Feb.
Iran's news mentioned Covid about 7 times as often as usual. 20 in every 100 of the day's 120,858 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. In Japan, 38% of the news was about people being harmed, where 22% is usual. On 19 February 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.
The words in the day's stories were softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.
From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?
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